Ivy Melody Madjus Gallur of Dimiao town essayed the lead role of Princess Yasodhara in Siddharta the Musical, a play about the life of Buddha, that was presented three times at SM Cinema 1 in Cebu City on June 20 & 21.

Dubbed as Cebu’s acoustic gem, Gallur comes from a family of singers and musicians from Bohol’s other music capital. Joselito, her father, represented the Province and won in a national singing competition of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in the 1970s. The latter’s brother Amando also won in a nationwide singing contest among regional delegates of a known banking institution. Both have performed in songwriting competitions in Bohol, Cebu and Leyte. Their sister Marochene, a physical therapist based abroad, used to be the lead vocalist of USA-Manila Band.

Gallur, who is a registered nurse and graduate of the University of San Carlos, is also currently one of the lead dancers of the famous San Diego Dance Company of Cebu together with her brother Joer Ivan and sister Ira Kristina. All three completed their elementary and high school from the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion where their mother, the former Erlinda Madjus, also a Dimiaonon, is an English language teacher.

Siddhartha is a musical based on the life and work of Siddhartha Gautama, a historic figure in the old 600 B.C. India who was in search of the meaning of life and found it silently tucked within himself after having been exposed to religious teachings and human suffering. According to traditional account, he left his cousin-wife Yasodhara with whom he had a child named Rahula.

Aside from Gallur, playing important roles in the musical are Benjie Germano Layos as Siddhartha and Pinoy Dream Academy alumna Apple Abarquez as the female monk.

The musical is based on the book The Biography of the Sakyamuni Buddha by Venerable Master Hsing Yun who founded the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order in Taiwan in 1967. It was presented by the Buddha’s Light International Association and the Fo Guang Shan Foundation to raise funds to help the youth in the field of performing arts.

Directed by Sarah Mae Enclona-Henderson with musical direction by Jude Gitamondoc, choreography by Vince Paul Diez Gaton, and costume design by Oj Hofer, Siddhartha will be shown next month in the Cultural Center of the Philippines after which it will have runs in China, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. (Reigh P. Monreal)